I’ll swim Atlantic for Tinubu if he practises what we fought for — Momodu

Publisher and former presidential aspirant, Dele Momodu, expressed his willingness to go to great lengths to support President Bola Tinubu if he adheres to the democratic principles they fought for during the military era. During an interview on Arise TV, Momodu stated that he would even "swim to the depth of the Atlantic Ocean" for Tinubu if he upheld those principles, emphasizing his primary concern was the potential replacement of military dictatorship with civilian dictatorship.

During the interview, Momodu lamented that his criticism of the President was selective, not extending to personal attacks, stating that he held immense respect for Tinubu, who had trained him and instilled discipline to challenge the establishment. Momodu explained that Tinubu's reputation as a national champion stemmed from his political success in Lagos.

The relationship between the two dates back over three decades to their shared pro-democracy struggle against military rule in the 1990s. Momodu and Tinubu collaborated in the National Democratic Coalition, which supported the June 12, 1993, presidential election mandate of Chief Moshood Abiola after its annulment by the military government.

Both were active in the pro-democracy movement during that time, with Momodu even working for Abiola's presidential campaign before its annulment and later being detained for his involvement. When General Sani Abacha seized power and suppressed pro-democracy campaigners, Tinubu went into exile in 1994, residing in the United Kingdom and the United States until Abacha's death in 1998.

Momodu also fled the country around the same time, eventually settling in the UK. The two have had public disagreements since Tinubu assumed the presidency in 2023, with Momodu increasingly criticizing the administration's economic and political direction, while still acknowledging Tinubu's influence on his political consciousness.

Momodu, who previously ran as the National Conscience Party's presidential candidate in 2011, has since aligned himself with the African Democratic Congress and remains an active voice in opposition politics ahead of the 2027 general election.